Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-06-24
THE KENTUCKY WAR.
NEWS OF The KILLING OF THE THREE T0L,
LIYRRS CONFIRMED.
Particulars Of the Battle With the SherifS Posse
The Gang Make Bold Rush for Liberty
and Try 10 Cut Through the
Attacking Party.


morning from the CoUrier-JoEr7aal cores
pondent, whe left last night for Rowan
county, corroborates the story of the kill
ing of the three TOlliysrs and Harvey
Cooper, as sent from this place last night.
Sheriff Hagg' posse bad warrants for the
arrest of the men, and they were supplied
with arms and ammunition by Governor
Knott. Force was only resorted to after
the desperadoes refused to submit to ar
rest. Bud and Jay Tollivar were cousins,
not brothers of Craig Tollivar. Andy Tol-
livar, another of Craig's cousins, escaped.
He was slightly wounded.
PARTICULARS OF THE BATTLE.
Sheriff Hogg, acting under instructions
from the State authorities, has been for
about q week quietly organizing very
large posse of determined men in the up
per part of Rowan county and in the ad-
joining counties for the purpose of arrest
ing Craig Tollivar, or all the party who
were implicated in the murder OF the Lo-
gan boys some two weeks ago. Craig Tol-
liyar had received intimations of this, but
they were so vague that he suppos the
party would be regulators instead of a
sherif7s posse. Tollivar and his party,
consisting of about ten men, were quite
vigilant and went heavily armed to meet
every eastward bound train at the depot
to search for suspicious characters, and to
see that no one got OFF at MOrehead but
those whom they desired. Sheriff Hogg
equipped his large party with Winchester
rifles, and the ammunition was secretly
conveyed to his rendezvous while he was
organizing his posse. Everything was
ready for the move on the Toilivar gang
several days ago, but, as it was known
that neither he nor any of his men would
peaceably submit to legal arrest of any
kind, it was deemed best to have the
plans thoroughly matured before taking
any decisive steps. 1t was finally deter
mined to
ATTEMPT THE ARREST OF THE AsSASSINs
Wednesday, June -, in the day time, to
prevent any women, childred or molten
siye citizens from being killed by accident.
Accordingly, at an early hour yesterday
morning people living on the line of the
railroad within two or three miles Of
Morehead on each side of the town, were
notified to stop all trains and inform the
conductors of what was going on in More
head, so that passengers and trainmen
would Dot be placed in danger. Sheriff
Hogg's band of reSOlute men, numbering
more than 200, appeared suddenly at
MOrehead at o'clock. A Gordon was
first established around the entire town in
! the brush, where the men could not be
seen. The sheriff then entered the town
at the head of about 100 well armed men.
Craig Tolliyar and his ten followers i'm
mediately retreated TO the Cottage hotel,
which they had previously barricaded in
| such a manner rs to make it quite a for
midable fortress. Sheriff HOgg then noti-
! fed Tollivar that he had warrants tor the
arrest of all the men implicated in the
killing Of the Logan boys, and asked that
they all submit peaceably to arrest under
the law Tollivar's reply was that neither
he nor his men would be arrested and that
one hundred men could not take them.
HIS party then
| OPENED FIRE on THE SHERIFF'S POSSE.
Quite a brisk rattle of musketry ensued
aud the fighting was kept up probably for
| two hours The only casualty for the time
WAS n flesh wound received by one OF the
sherih7s posse. The attacking party, how
ever, were gradually drawing their lines
closer around TOllivar'S fertilization, and
the besieged party finding things growing
100 warm, finally concluded to make bold
rush for liberty, cut their way through the
sherih7S lines and take to the adjacent
| brush, which, once reached, would afford
| them a secure escape. But as they made
| the rush they were met by tremendous
volley which killed Craig TOllivar, Bud
\ Tollivar, Jay Tollivar and Hiram Cooper.
/ They were all shot through the heart and
died instantly. Craig Tolliyar seems to
have been general target, rs he was so
thoroughly riddled as to be scarcely recog-
nizable The other men of the gang got
througe safely, but as they approached the
brush they were met by vOlley from the
outside Gordon, line of men stationed ten
or twelve feet apart around the town.
This yolley wounded Cate Tollivar, a l2-
year-Old boy, and three Others, all OF whom
were captured except Cate Tollivar, who
crawled into the brush aud escaped. The
other three also escaped, but were captured
atterward This brought the battle to an
end, and the slain were viewed by the peo-
pie and passengers from the train.